Retail software is just what its name implies: software you must
purchase, either online or at a retail store.

Freeware is typically created by hobbyist programmers. They enjoy
programming and offer their creations to others for free, with no strings
attached.

Shareware is typically a program that is partially or fully
functional for a limited period of time. The idea is that you get the
opportunity to try the software out first before committing to purchasing
it. Making the software only partially functional, or disabling the software
after a certain period of time, motivates you to purchase the product if you
find it useful.

Spyware (sometimes called Ad-ware) is the newest form of
software. Here, we’ll take a look at what it is and what we want to do with
it.

What Is Spyware?

We currently live in an unusual economic climate. Software companies will pay
programmers to write programs, promote those programs, host huge Internet sites,
and give the software away for free. How can they afford to do that?

They use your computer and your Internet connection to send information about
the web pages you have visited, as well as your shopping preferences, back to
the software company at regular intervals.

The companies can then sell this information to other companies. The other
companies can use that information to determine what kinds of items you might be
interested in purchasing, based on the web sites you visited and items you have
purchased in the past. In short, spyware is advertising-supported software.

In addition, spyware can change your Internet startup page and alter
important system files. Of course, the companies that create this software don’t
think they’re doing anything wrong. After all, the user (that’s you) agreed to
the terms and conditions prior to downloading and installing the software.

These terms and conditions are typically presented in an End User License
Agreement (EULA), and you must acknowledge that you read and understood this
agreement before you are allowed to download or install the software.

Most people never read the EULA. Those who do read it usually have no idea
what any of the legal mumbo jumbo actually means.

Windows XP has a 28-page EULA that, in part, reads, “You specifically agree
not to export or re-export the SOFTWARE PRODUCT (or portions thereof): (i) to
any country subject to a U.S. embargo or trade restriction; (ii) to any person
or entity who you know or have reason to know will utilize the SOFTWARE PRODUCT
(or portions thereof) in the design, development or production of nuclear,
chemical or biological weapons…”

As if anyone who would actually do this sort of thing would say, “Oh, I’m not
allowed to do this? I guess I can’t install the software. My plans are thwarted
again! Darn you, Microsoft!”

But hidden within the legal mumbo jumbo of a spyware company’s EULA is your
agreement to allow the company to place tracking software on your computer, in
exchange for some free software.

You are also agreeing to let that software report back to the company
regularly at your expense (it’s using your computer and your Internet
connection). You are also agreeing to not hold the company responsible if their
software should cause any harm to your computer or data.

Because you agreed to the terms and conditions prior to downloading and
installing the software, this is considered legal.

What’s the Problem with a Little Advertising?

Not all advertising supported by software is bad. Some software can actually
be quite useful and be worth the tradeoff. However, a big problem is that many
programs that contain spyware cannot be uninstalled or do not completely
uninstall, leaving the tracking pieces behind.

As you continue to download and install free software, the spyware starts to
accumulate on your PC. Instead of just having one or two programs spying on you,
it’s quite common to find more than 100!

This typically results in your computer taking longer to start up (also
called booting), poor computer performance overall, reduced resources available
to other programs, as well as system lockups and crashes, not to mention taking
up valuable space on your hard disk.

To make matters worse, some of these spyware companies attempt to trick you
into downloading their spyware-laced software by displaying fake Windows error
messages that appear quite genuine. These fake messages may say things like:

Your Computer is Currently Broadcasting an Internet IP Address
Your Internet Connection Is Not Optimized
Your Current Connection May Be Capable of Faster Speeds

What might concern you the most about spyware is that you have no way of
knowing or controlling what information is being sent out from your computer.

Sure, the spyware companies claim they are not collecting any sensitive or
identifiable data, but how do you know that for a fact?

The only way to know for sure is to remove any and all traces of spyware from
your computer!